[Editor's Note: This post contains spoilers for the December 2 episode of Showtime's "Homeland."]

Last night’s episode, “Broken Hearts,” opened at a diner where, after establishing a mutual affinity for the waffles served up at said greasy spoon, Dar Adal told Saul that Quinn worked for him. Adal, an off the books CIA Black-Ops guy, suggested that perhaps Estes didn’t trust Saul.

Jessica, who was still in hiding with Mike and the kids at the uber-luxurious D.C. condo safehouse, told Mike she was still “waiting to feel guilty” about sleeping with him the previous night. Seconds later, Brody strolled in and announced to his family that he was “just a Congressman who helped the CIA.”

On the way out of her own condo complex, Carrie called Brody and told him that the Attorney General was ready to honor the CIA’s agreement but first he would have to resign from Congress and turn down Walden’s offer to be his vice presidential running mate.

At Langley, Estes and his team whooped it up over their victory in nabbing Roya and three other terrorists but warned that Nazir was still out there. Saul confronted Estes as to why Quinn was even involved in the operation. Saul suggested that because Brody knew that Walden and Estes ordered the drone strike that killed Iraqi children, perhaps Quinn was an insurance policy on that information ever becoming public.

Estes and Saul nearly came to blows before Quinn ran after them to deliver the news: Carrie was missing and her car was a smashed up, bloody mess.

Via Skype for BlackBerry, Nazir showed Brody that he had Carrie bound and gagged. Nazir told Brody that a plastic case near Walden’s treadmill contained a serial number that allowed for wireless access to his pacemaker. Apparently, he learned it from The New York Times. Brody’s mission was to retrieve that number.

Brody’s card game (Hearts, no less!) with poor, ignored Chris would have to wait.

At the scene of Carrie’s D.C. smashup, Saul and Virgil inspected the broken mess that was Carrie’s car. They both agreed that someone ought to have been protecting Carrie.

Saul found Carrie’s phone and dialed Brody – it was the last number she had called. Making no mention of the fact that Nazir had kidnapped Carrie, Brody told Saul that all they discussed was veep candidate resignation matters.

At an abandoned mill, Nazir un-gagged Carrie and tried to give her bottled water. The water presumably came from the gas station convenience store five blocks away from where Carrie was hit because Virgil tracked down surveillance footage. By the way, is Abu Nazir’s face not burned in the brains of the fictional Americans of “Homeland”-land a la Osama bin Laden?

Carrie called Nazir on his behavior – the lotta pain, then a little love tactic. She said Brody would never get the serial number. Nazir tried to bond with Carrie over their mutual love of Nazir.

“You love him too,” Nazir said in a bit of dialogue that reminded me of 8th grade slumber parties.

Carrie insisted they had nothing in common.

“You’re never gonna leave this country alive,” said Carrie.

“I know,” said Nazir, “and I don’t care.”

“Bulls-!” said Carrie.

Nazir went on to explain that he was a soldier who believed in something bigger but Carrie insisted he was nothing more than a terrorist. Nazir questioned who the real terrorist was, pointing to the drone strike in Iraq. Carrie shot back with details about children who were duped into becoming suicide bombers.

“We fight with what we have,” said Nazir, who insisted he was prepared for generations to suffer and die and said that Americans – with their “pensions and organic food” – don’t have the tenacity and faith to fight the long fight.

Carrie accused Nazir of perverting the teachings of the Prophet, but Nazir argued that his people would never lose faith.

“It may take a century, two centuries, three centuries,” said Nazir, “but we will exterminate you.”

“Like I said,” she added, “you’re a terrorist.”

At the Naval Observatory, Brody got the serial number but insisted that Nazir let Carrie go and that he must see her run free before sending the text. Brody swore on Issa’s immortal soul that he’d send the number. He reiterated that Walden deserved to die for what he did as well as for his would-be acts as President of the United States.

A bruised and bloody Carrie approached the nearest highway looking like the Walking Dead and futilely tried to flag down a passing vehicle.

Back at the Naval Observatory, Walden walked in and asked Brody if he was getting a feel for the joint. He said Estes was singing Brody’s praises about bringing down Nazir’s network and that he couldn’t wait to use it to his advantage on the campaign trail.

Brody told Walden he was withdrawing his name from consideration for the vice presidential nomination.

Brody’s reason?

“Because I wanna feel clean again,” he told the visibly angry vice president who began clutching his chest. “And because I pretty much disagree with everything you say and do.”

Walden asked Brody to call a doctor. Not only did Brody refuse, but he pushed the phone away from the dying man.

“You still don’t get it, do you?” asked Brody. “I’m killing you.”

On the highway, Carrie literally played chicken with a Volvo 18-wheeler and then swiped the truck driver’s cell phone off the dash. She called Saul and told him Nazir was in an abandoned mill. The bewildered driver chimed in to say they were on Highway 50, east of Chantilly. Estes said he wanted to alert the FBI and the rest of Homeland Security. Then Estes and Quinn shared a look and Estes reached for the phone.

Crying crocodile tears at the Naval Observatory, Brody asked for someone to call a doctor, knowing full well that old Walden was dead as a door-nail.

Carrie began walking back along the highway toward the mill against anyone’s better judgment.

On his way to catch Nazir, Saul got surrounded and brought for questioning under Estes’ orders.

The episode closed with Carrie darting around the rusty old mill looking for Abu Nazir.

What did you think about last night’s episode? Where do you think they’re taking Saul? With two more episodes left this season, which storylines would you like to see wrap-up before season three? Let’s discuss in the comments below.

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I think the mole is the DCI (who we have never seen). The DCI arranged for Roya to distract Estes when Brody searched his office, and the DCI was called by Estes to get permission for Brody to visit his captor who hd been captured and was slipped a razor blade.

I wasn’t surprised that Estes detained Saul. It looks like they are putting him in an interrogation room, and it’s related to the fact he discovered that Quinn is a black-ops agent with orders to kill Brody once they get rid of Nazir. I think the mole in the CIA is Quinn, and that may be revealed by the end of next week. I missed Sunday’s episode, but saw it this morning since it was recorded on my DISH Hopper. Compared to my last DVR, the larger hard drive space I have now lets me save and watch programs without needing to delete others when I work nights at DISH. If Nazir escapes custody while Saul is detained that should exonerate him as the mole.

OK here goes, The Carrie Brody love fest will escalate now that Brody has traded the VP's life for hers. Perhaps by Deus Ex Machina the hacked pacemaker trail will go cold or redirect away from Brody. Brody's success capping the VP will get him some cred with Nazir who will in turn wack Dar Adal. A new threat will be illuminated causing Brody to again become invaluable and Quinn will be retasked by Estes to support Saul in his efforts to eliminate it. In another hail marry pass to try and have Jessica contribute to the story line they will probably have her take off her shirt again. Wee.. Send the kids to boarding school and wrap it.

I would like to see Brody at least separate from Jessica. That story line is getting old. I think it would add another dimension to the overall story to have Jessica move on with a relationship with Mike.